being an OR nurse

David_G · Jan 26, 2006

Well I have been a theatre nurse for the past 8 years... and I love it, I would not do anything else; well I'll never say never but thats how I feel at the moment and I have all along.

It DOES have it's moments and it is a "high-stress" area (mind you all nursing is stressful - granted) being an acute care area. But thats what I love about it and I never get tired of "looking inside" people- it is just plain cool and for the most part good fun.

The other thing is that us theatre nurses are getting older - in Australia theatre nurses have one of the oldest "average age" compared to other areas - so new blood (sorry pun) is great!

Dave

SFCardiacRN · Jan 27, 2006

I love working in the OR and cannot see myself in another specialty. In the 6 years I have been at my current employer, only one RN has left for another field.

MS*OR*RN · Feb 3, 2006

I love the OR, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. :nurse:

jaxandchester · Feb 4, 2006

Hello everyone!!

I am new to this site. I will be finishing up my nursing program this year. I have worked in PACU (CNA/Orderly position) for 8 months, and am now working/learning as an extern under an RN on the Med-surg floor. I would really love to go back into the OR arena. Do you suggest more time on the floor before I pursue going back into the surgical area? Thank you for your responses.

SFCardiacRN · Feb 4, 2006

You've been there long enough. In fact, very few of the OR nurses I work with ever did med-surg.

rncrrncws · Feb 4, 2006

You either love OR or Hate it. Don't usually have someone sitting on the fence. I was in OR in earlier part of my career then moved. I loved it!

MS*OR*RN · Feb 5, 2006

I came off a Cardiac/Stepdown unit, I was there for appox. 3 years. We were all ACLS, ran our own codes ( no code teams ), but I found that I really needed to do one on one care and ICU was not an option at the other hospital that I worked at. ( another long story) So I went looking for a job in a procedural area and found my way into a peri-op program. The OR has been one of the best things that could have happened to me.

I do agree, you love it or hate it. It is not for everyone. There are a lot of strong personallities in the OR.

I hope you get to the OR if that is where you really want to be. :nurse:

debbieuk · Feb 11, 2006

hi

i have just qualified in the UK and i had a clinical placement cancelled. my Uni panicked and put me in the OR and i have never looked back!

i did that placement and my 3 electives there and they gave me a job

it is completley different to ward nursing and i don't think i could go back now.

in the UK not many students have the oppertunity to experience the OR which is a shame as it is the same as Australia with many nurses reaching retirement.

if you like it go for it

squeeker · Feb 20, 2006

I love the OR and wouldn't go back to the floors for anything! You willl meet all kinds of personalities there (not all well behaved) and learn coping skills like you've never imagined. After 10 years of looking at other people's insides, I'm still learning something new everyday.

JLynnOR · Feb 26, 2006

I love the OR, too.

What I would say, though, is to get any other types of experience that you need/want out of the way first. In the OR, you stop using some of your nursing skills, and you gain an entirely new set of skills--knowledge of procedures, indications, instrumentation, anatomy, pathology, etc. And, as many of us said, we love working in the OR. To choose to pursue ICU experience after many years in the OR, as an example, would require a lot of re-learning of skills not used for a while.

Things you'll experience in most OR settings: Many strong personalities, both in the nursing staff as well as physician staff; many Type-A, neurotic, control freaks (I'm one of them, and I'm okay with that!). This is one of the nursing areas where you will have the most personal professional respect from physicians/surgeons. They get to know you and your abilities personally, and respect you when you're good. Scrubbing is fun. It's almost like a dance, or a performance. You get all of your stuff ready for the doc, if you're good you have the tool in their hand before they have to ask for it, and at the end of the procedure, you feel like you've just been part of something amazing. It's sometimes really complex (my faves are Knee Arthroscopy and ACL Reconstruction procedures), but it's fun in some way.

The atmosphere is fast-paced. Prioritizing is really, really important. The ability to "see the big picture" is important. Playing well with others, very important. Thick skin, very important.